Flaxmere (Māori: Paharakeke) is a township in the Hastings District and outlying suburb of Hastings City, in the Hawke's Bay Region of New Zealand's North Island. It consists of a series of cul-de-sacs, radiating from a main street.^[3]

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Flaxmere
Suburb
Aerial photo looking towards Napier
Coordinates: 39°37′S 176°47′E
Country	New Zealand
City	Hastings
Local authority	Hastings District Council
Electoral ward	Flaxmere General Ward Heretaunga General Ward Takitimu Māori Ward
Area [1]
• Land	718 ha (1,774 acres)
Population  (June 2023)[2]
• Total	12,990

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Omahu	Twyford
	Flaxmere	Frimley
Bridge Pa		Camberley

The original European owner of the land was Sir William Russell, for many years of local member of parliament and Leader of the Opposition from 1894 to 1901. Russell called his estate Flaxmere. When Hastings City Council needed to expand, subdivision of the land started in 1963 and in the following year, the area was incorporated into the area held by the (then) city council. The subdivision was named after the original estate name.^[4] Russell's son, Harold Russell, inherited a homestead Little Flaxmere and land that was part of original estate. This is today located in nearby Twyford.^[5]

For the subdivision Hastings City Council bought 455 acres (184 ha), which had 150 acres (61 ha) zoned for industry, 40 acres for Flaxmere Park and 12 acres (4.9 ha) for Flaxmere Shopping Centre, including a car park for about 600 cars.^[6]

Flaxmere covers 7.18 km² (2.77 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 12,990 as of June 2023,^[2] with a population density of 1,809 people per km².

Before the 2023 census, Flaxmere had a smaller boundary, covering 5.87 km² (2.27 sq mi).^[1] Using that boundary, Flaxmere had a population of 11,142 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,623 people (17.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,203 people (12.1%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,949 households, comprising 5,439 males and 5,697 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female, with 3,408 people (30.6%) aged under 15 years, 2,685 (24.1%) aged 15 to 29, 4,002 (35.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,035 (9.3%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 36.5% European/Pākehā, 59.1% Māori, 24.4% Pacific peoples, 2.0% Asian, and 0.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 12.6, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 41.6% had no religion, 41.9% were Christian, 7.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.3% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 0.4% were Buddhist and 1.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 420 (5.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 2,289 (29.6%) people had no formal qualifications. 258 people (3.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 4,011 (51.9%) people were employed full-time, 861 (11.1%) were part-time, and 474 (6.1%) were unemployed.^[7]

Flaxmere was built to cater to the housing demand of Hastings. It was intended to be an upper-middle class subdivision, but because land was subdivided into smaller lots, it became a low income neighbourhood.

It has a small shopping centre with a petrol station, post office, bakery, video store, butchery, indoor rock climbing centre, and various other businesses offering necessities and/or leisure. Other amenities include a library, police station, several churches and Flaxmere Waterworld, an indoor swimming complex.

Flaxmere has four primary schools:

• Flaxmere Primary School is a state primary school,^[13][14] with a roll of 421.^[15]
• Peterhead School is a state primary school,^[16] with a roll of 484.^[17]
• Irongate School is a state primary school,^[18] with a roll of 213.^[19]
• Te Kura o Kimi Ora is a state primary school,^[20] with a roll of 130.^[21]

The township also has two other schools:

• Flaxmere College is a state secondary school,^[22][23] with a roll of 329.^[24]
• Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngati Kahungunu Ki Heretaunga is a Year 1–13 Māori immersion school,^[25] with a roll of 179.^[26]

All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of February 2024.^[27]